Drop-stitch mechanism for full-fashioned knitting-machines.



F. H. SITOEHREL.

DROP STITCH MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES APPLICATIONFILED 050.3.1915.

1 46,797. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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' F H. STOEHREL.

DROP STITCH MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES APPLICATIONFILED DEC 3. 1915.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Suva Joe UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FBIEDBIG H. STOEHREL, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NOLDE &HOIS'I 00., 0F READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application filed December 3, 1915. Serial No. 64,812.

To all whom 2'25 may concern." I

Be it known that Fnrnonrc H. STOEHREL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania,has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop-StitchMechanism for Full-Fashioned Knitting- Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to straight knitting machines having narrowingmechanism as commonly employed for the production of hill-fashionedhosiery; and it consists in the application thereto of improveddrop-stitch mechanism as fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and the novel features of which are specificallypointed out in the claims.

The particular purpose of my invention is to provide for satisfactorilyproducing vertical drop-stitch stripes in the fashioned articles; and tothis end I provide for automatically forming series of properly spaceddrop-stitch openings adjacent the narrowed or selvage edges of thefabric as indicated at a a Figure 6, in connection with a cross wiseseries a a at the most reduced portion of the leg fabric indicated insaid figure; each of said drop-stitch openings being located in verticalalinement with a transverse series of lace or transferred-loop openingsb 72 hi the wider upper portion; the latter openings being adapted toform terminals for vertical stripes c 0 extending from the drop stitchopening; and the horizontal series of drop-stitch openings (1/ a servingas guide openings for properly attaching the finished leg fabric to theneedles of the footer machine.

The drawings indicate only such portions of the general straightlmitting machine construction as are needed to make clear theapplication of my invention thereto. I

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view, showing the narrowing and drop-stitchmechanisms, mainly on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, in cooperative relation tocertain portions of the knitting machine structure.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding elevation looking in the direction of thearrow 2 Fig. 1., the drop-stitch cam being broken away, and the lace orloop-transfer bar shown in lowered position.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a narrowing point in beardclosing position; and Fig. 5shows my specially applied drop-stitch point in similar position.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view indicating the product of my invention.

Fig. 7 shows the folding end provided on the narrowing bars.

Fig. 8 indicates thelace-point cam mechanism for operating thelace-point bar.

The knitting bar 5 with its needles 6, and the sinkers and dividers andknock-over bits 7, 8, 9, are mounted and operated as usual; as is alsothe narrowing mechanism. carried by the shaft 10 on swinging arms 11,and which comprises the narrowing bars 12, 12 each provided with aseries 5f longitudinally movable narrowing points 13 rigidly fixed to acarrier bracket 14:.

In connection with this narrowing mechanism is carried a lace-point bar15, which is mounted upon a shaft 16- so as to be readily swung up intoinoperative position as indicated in Fig. 1, or down into operativeposition as indicated in Fig. 2; the spaced lace points 17 fixed to saidbar being adapted to serve as loop-transfer points, for determinedneedle-engaged loops, similarly to the narrowing points 13 indicated inFig.

4, so as to form the series of lace or transferred-loop openings 6, b asheretofore.

In order to provide for employing these lace points 17 to also form thetransverse series of drop-stitch openings a (1 shown at the bottom ofthe leg fabric (Fig. 6), I arrange for temporarily throwing theclosed-together points 13 of the reversely adjusted narrowing bars 12,12, out of the way of the lace point bar 15, so that the latter may befreely swung into service at the reduced lower portion of the fabric;and I also arrange that the movement of the lace point bar be changed soas to produce drop-stitch openings at a instead of transferr ed-loopopenings as b b. The first of these changes I preferably provide for bysimply forming each of the narrowing bars 12 with a movable end portion12*- (Fig. 7), hinged at as shown so as to swing out of contact with theusual narrowing-screw device indicated at 51 and thus permit of the barbeing temporarily moved longitudinally to get the narrowing points outof the way of the lowered lace point bar without changing the positionof said device 51. The

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requisite change in the movement of the lace-point bar to produce thedrop-stitch openings of (1 involves merely the dropping oi the loopswhichin the previous operation (forming openings it 7)) were transferredto adjacent needles; and this is readily provided for, as indicated inFig. 8, by an additional cam on the movable cam shaft 26. The figureshows the cam shaft moved to the right so as to cause the roller 18, oflever 19, to bear on the usual narrowing cam 20, which latter operatesthe narrowing head through connecting arm 21, in well known manner. Whenthe special holes a are to be made, an additional roller 23 on lever 19is moved as by means of slide rod 22, into engagement with special cam25, which latter operates the lace point bar to drop 05 the stitchesinstead or" transferring them.

The forming of the series of drop-stitch openings at 12 along thenarrowed edges 28 or the fashioned fabric, is edected by means of aspecial drop-stitch point 30, located adjacent each series of narrowingpoints 18 and automatically movable into and out of alinement with thelatter. This point, as shown, is secured to a holder 3l, which is fixedto a pivot shaft 32 mounted-in the carrier arms 1%, and is swung intoand out or alinement with the narrowing points 13 by means acting uponthe point operating lever 33 on said shaft 32. A stop 34 serves topositively limit this movement in one direction and swinging movement isimparted to the point by a cam 35, which is suitably moved to operativeposition at determined times; ale-indicated in Fig. 1 by a pin 36 oncertain of the narrowing buttons 37 or? pattern chain 38. This adjustably fixed cam 38 may thus be arranged to operate during the verticalmovement of the narrowing mechanim when desired, so as to roclr thebell-crank arms ll), ll on the suitably mounted shaft 42, by contact ofthe roller 43 with said cam, so as to swing the point 30 into alinementwith the narrowing points while the latter are descending to disengagethe loops from the end knitting needles preliminary to narrowing; thoughat other times the point 30 willdescend in the inoperative positionindicated in Fig. i. As shown in Fig. 5 however the point 30 is adaptedto close the beard off the needle on which it acts without engaging theloop thereon, so that the latter will lee-merely dropped from its needlelay subsequent downward movement of the latter instead of beingtransferred to another needle as are the loops upon the narrowing points"l3,

@wing to the fact the sinlrers and dividers are apt to interfere withthe free transverse movement of this drop-stitch point 39 if the latteris allowed to remain in the safely inoperative position combination wibination' wit integer in Fig. l, I have found it to be practicallyimportant that means be provided for positioning said point 30approximately in alinement with the narrowing points during eachtransverse movement of the narrowing bars 10, so as to certainly avoidcontact with any of said parts during such movements; and to this end Iprovide, asshown, an additional fixed arm 45 on said shaft 42, arrangedto be operated at proper times by a special cam id on the cam shaft.

"it will be seen that my invention provides for mechanically formingvertical dropstitch stripes at all portions of the leg of afull-fashioned stocking and with absolute uniformity. The specificconstruction shown may obviously be readily modified without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. "in a narrowing mechanism for knitting machines, a series ofnarrowing points, a drop-stitch point movable jointly with saidnarrowing points and also independently thereof to position it in or outof alinement therewith, and means for eiiecting such joint andindependent movements 2. ln a narrowing mechanism for lmitting'rnachines, a longitudinally movable narrowing bar having a carrierbracket, a series of narrowing points rigidly fixed to said bracket, adrop-stitch point movably at tached thereto, and means for moving saidbar and adjusting said drop-stitch point relative to narrowing points.

3. lo a narrowing mechanism tor imitting machines, the combination withnarrowing points of a cooperating dropetitch point, means for throwingthe latter into and out of erative position, and means for changing einoperative position thereof preliminary to the transverse movement ofthe points:

4. in a straight machine, the h narrowing mechanim. of means for ingtransverse series of transierreddoop open ngs, 3 means for forming anarrowed-edge series oi: pstitch openings located respectively in vertical alinement with openings oi said trans verse series.

5. a narrowing mechanism imitting machines, a series of narrowingpoints, a drop-stitch point movable jointly with said narrowing pointsand also independently thereof to position it in or out of alinementtherewith, and pattern controlled for ei-lecting such joint andindependent move ments 8. ln a straight the coma h nice or tra "versesemeans for ries trans transverse sand a narrow openings, v

sn-roop openin Mill meager stitch openings being located in verticalalinement with one of said transferreddoop openings.

7. In a straight knitting machine, a narrowing bar carrying fixednarrowing points and a cooperating pivotally movable dropstitch point,and means for ositioning said drop-stitch point in or out 0 alinementwith the fixed narrowing points.

8. In a straight knitting machine, a narrowing bar carrying fixednarrowing points and a cooperating pivotally movable dropstitch point,means for positioning said drop-stitch point in or out of alinement withthe narrowing points during vertical movement of the latter, and meansfor changing its position preliminary to transverse movement of saidnarrowing points.

9. In a straight knitting machine com-- prising a transverse series oftransfer points and means for operating the same; a transversely movablenarrowing bar carrying a' series of narrowing points and a drop-stitchpoint, the latter being adjustable into and out of transverse alinementwith said senes of narrowing points; means for moving sald vnarrowingbar to bring said drop-stitch point intovertical alinement with saidtransfer points successively; and means for adjusting said drop-stitchpoint into alinement with the narrowing points when in such successivepositions.

10. In a straight knitting machine, a knitting mechanism comprising aseries of knitting needles; a loop transfer mechanism comprising aseries of loop transfer points operative on certain of said knittingneedles; a narrowing mechanismcomprising a series of narrowing points,and a drop-stltch point adjustable into and out of allnement with thenarrowing points; and means for adjusting said drop-stitch point intooperative position for said certain needles only.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

FRIEDRIG H. s'ronnnnn V

